My Son is Growing up, and My Husband is Growing Down

Chapter 7
Endings and Beginnings

“My, aren’t you getting small,” I said humorous as I measured my former husband.

Two more years had pass since my son’s sixteen/thirteen birthday. And since those days, my son, Jimmy had gone from thirteen to eleven.

As I was marking the chart I had made, I took notice of how my little boy was shaking. I watched as his shrunk a few inches and took notice at how a small lay of baby fat appeared on his body. After his latest spurt was done, I measured my ten-year-old son. I was surprised to found him barely above two feet even.

Sometimes, it still amazes me. That the once big and strong man I have married had slowly shrunk into a boy, smaller then most of kids his age. But he stills the one I loved, even if it’s not in that kind of love anymore. Plus, the faces he gives me are just so cute, I just want to crush him in the biggest hug, I could give him.

“Mommy, can I watch cartoons now?” Jimmy asked me in an almost innocent manner.

I could only nodded as a big smile blossomed on his face and he ran for the living room. As I watched him from afar, my mind started to drift back to certain things I had done in these must few years.

Since this was a small town, we basically knew everyone around here, so when James started to slip into his teen years, I had to come up with a story to keep anyone as far from the truth as can be. I told them that James was lay off due to downsizing and had to seek a job, that kept him from home for long period. I guess it was fate that my former husband’s job was bought out about the same time when he was forced to quit, and a lot were seeking new jobs.

Another thing I made sure to keep on my toes about was the issue with clothes. Since Jimmy changed sizes quite a few times in a year, I made sure to buy different size clothes. Then there was the problem with the clothes he grew too small to wear them. I didn’t keep them around, like the pack rat I use to be. I instead gave them to the Red Cross. I didn’t want one of my nosy family members to suddenly drop by and go snubbing around. The least thing I wanted to do was turned my former husband into some kind of experiment.

And I have already decided that when the regression stops, I will use my connection to create a false record about my second son, James Jones Junior, name after my traveling husband.

I didn’t even allow the possibility that Jimmy might not stop regression, entered into my mind. I couldn’t think like that. I just know he would stop regressing, something from deep within my heart tells me. I just hope he doesn’t get so young that I need to change diapers again.

As I watched my new son, I notice something odd happening. Jimmy was getting younger at a faster rate, at least 50 times more then before. In a mouth and half, he turned into a nine old, an action that would usually take half of year to happen. I don’t know if it was because of some kind of reaction to his young state or what, all I knew was that My Jimmy was getting younger faster. It made me more afraid then I have been in these least eleven years.

Another mouth and half want by and Jimmy want down to eight, and after that, he went down to seven. At this age, my former husband was just barely a foot and half tall, quite small for a child. Still that was the least of my worries. From that day on, I prayed that he wouldn’t get any younger. I prayed with all of my heart and soul and wish that it would be answered.

As the mouths continued roll on, I notice that Jimmy didn’t look younger. But still, I wasn’t going to start jumping for joy just yet. I waited in a nervous wrecked as the mouths rolled into a year and beyond and still he didn’t get younger. Instead he looked older. It was then I finally breathed.

It has been near 20 years, but my husband was now my precious little boy. My other son had long since gone off to college, but I didn’t care. I have my little boy to keep me company and for that, I was happy.

(17 years later)

With tears in my old eyes, I watched as my youngest stand next a pretty lady, trying the knot in his second life. I was happy of how things turned out. Not only did I get two children, but two very good, very talented children. But that’s not important anyhow. All that mattered is my second son’s wedding to one Jennifer Brown.

In these past seventeen years, my former husband had grown into a completely different man then the one I married. Still, that man was in there. I even asked him if he remembered his old life. He just gave me a sad look, and I knew, even though words were not said, that he remembered. I just happy he was able to move on.

I continued with my tears of joy, a thought popped into my head. There was something different about this Jennifer person. Don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against her. It just that she seem smarter then a 24 year old. Like there was something behind those eyes of hers. It strangely remains me of my Little Jimmy.

Turning my thought in a different way, I smiled as I thought entered into my mind. When the wedding is over, I’m planning on telling my future daughter in-law the truth. About how my second is actually my husband, who I reported died at sea. I will tell her how he regressed into a boy in about 11 years and was now the man in front of her. I wonder how would she take it. She probably wouldn’t believe me in the first place, but oh well, it was my joke.

That’s another thing I have been concerned about. Though I know he would stay clear of any mysterious lakes, a feeling told me, that my boy will keep regressing when the times right. I really don’t have anything to support this theory, but I knew in my heart, that it will happen. I just hopped that my son’s new wife will take it as light hearted as I did. But then again I don’t know who would found such a thing funny, like I did.

But when you have a son who’s growing up, and a husband who’s growing down beside him, what can you do? Just sit back and enjoy the ride.